In this Beekeeping Today Podcast Short, Jeff Ott sits down with Jamie Walters, President of the Ohio State Beekeepers Association (OSBA), during the organization's annual conference in Wooster, Ohio.

Jamie shares how OSBA continues to thrive after the challenges of recent years, including the rebound of volunteerism and mentorship following COVID. Under his leadership, the 2025 conference brought together 37 vendors, 280 attendees, and an impressive lineup of speakers including Dr. Tracy Farone, Fred Dunn, and Dr. Chia Lin from Ohio State University.

The discussion highlights the OSBA's dedication to education and outreach—covering new hands-on workshops in wax processing, dissection labs, and mead making, as well as the association's growing youth scholarship and mentorship programs. Jamie also describes efforts to expand training through certified online beginner beekeeping courses in collaboration with Dr. Reed Johnsonand Dr. Chia Lin at The Ohio State University Bee Lab.

Jeff and Jamie talk about the importance of leadership and volunteerism in state and local beekeeping organizations, and how collaboration among neighboring states—Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and others—can strengthen the beekeeping community as a whole.

Links and references mentioned in this episode:

Ohio State Beekeepers Association: https://ohiostatebeekeepers.org
Ohio State University Bee Lab: https://u.osu.edu/beelab
Fred Dunn (YouTube Channel): https://www.youtube.com/@FrederickDunn
Honey Bee Health Coalition Guide: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org

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[Bonus] Short - Inside the Ohio State Beekeepers Association with Jamie Walters

Beekeeping Today Podcast